Saturday, September 24, 2016

When making the knots for knotted needle point lace, there are two tips I like to give:

-First you have to get the tension right. In the book Mediterranean knotted lace by Elena Dickson you find a description how to do that on page 22. What she says is basically what you see in the above illustration from the Priscilla Armenian Needlepoint Lace Book. This really works!!

-Secondly what is important is that you realize that the way you steer you needle will have impact on the intervals between the knots. When your needle goes straight up you will get the normal seize. If I want the interval to be smaller I steer my needle to the left, bigger to the right. See page 21 of Mediterranean knotted lace by Elena Dickson.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Needle point lace (Armenian lace) is made with just one knot, so you think when you have mastered that knot the rest will be easy. Not so! The hardest part I find is measuring and getting the interval between the knots right. Not only getting these intervals the seize you want, but also knowing what seize will be right for the pattern. In the pattern I show here, I think the big loops should be smaller, because there is too much room now between the picots on those loops. I blocked the motif below, otherwise it would have looked even more irregular. I use the book Mediterranean knotted lace a lot, but I sometimes long for a teacher in person, who would look over my shoulder and just tell me how to do it. I also study the work by Totusmel on her blog, she is a champion in making regular knotting.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Some samples I made last week, with help of the descriptions in the book

Mediterranean knotted lace has many names (armenian lace, oya etc.), I am happy I found the book shown below. It gives answers to a lot of my questions about this not so easy technique, for example how to add a new thread and how to finish the loose ends (you don't, you just cut them off!!)

As the book recommends you have to practice, practice and practice. And that is what I try to do. I see some improvement, but it is still not to my liking. So I have to persevere.

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About Me

Hello, my name is Helen. I live in the Netherlands. I make books in my spare time and I alter books. Other techniques have my interest as well, as you will see. Thank you for visiting. Contact: goudenregel@yahoodotcom